What to do for a bad toothache

If you have ever experienced any type of pain you know that it’s not fun and can be stressful especially if it’s severe. You may not know what to do for different types of especially a toothache. If you have been wondering what to do for a bad toothache you are definitely not alone. The best thing to do when you are in this situation is to seek the medical attention of a dentist as soon as possible. Unfortunately many individuals are not able to do that either no insurance, the dentist being booked or it being late at night or on the weekend. If you do have insurance and have been wondering what to do for a bad toothache you could search for an emergency dental clinic which often stays open very late and on the weekends.

There are many different things that can cause a toothache so knowing what to do for a bad toothache will depend on the cause of it. If you wake up in the middle of the night with your tooth hurting it’s possible that you have an infection and will need antibiotics to help with the toothache. This could be due to either a tooth abscess or decay which can be very painful.
Normally what to do for a bad toothache will depend on the determination behind the pain. If the problem is tooth decay you may exhibit signs of pain when you try to chew or bite your food. You may notice pain not only in the tooth but in the gum and jaw as well. Other individuals around you may notice bad breath when you open your mouth or speak. This usually occurs due to the decomposition of your tooth structure and decaying food particles that build up in your mouth around the tooth. This usually needs to be drilled by a dentist and repaired with a filling depending on how bad the decay is.

On the other hand a tooth abscess may exhibit different symptoms such as severe pain in the tooth and jaw area. Knowing what to do for a bad toothache in this case will depend on how bad the abscess is. You may notice a loose tooth, swollen or bleeding guns, fever, earache, headache and possibly even swollen glands. This will require antibiotics and further treatment will depend on if there is decay or if it needs to be extracted.

What to do for a bad toothache until you get into the dentist can be handled by a few home remedies such as gargling salt water to help soothe the tooth and remove any food particles from the affected area. You may also clean the affected area with dental floss and then rinsing with mouthwash. Applying over the counter toothache medications or clove oil will help give a bit of temporary relief. These types of medication can be used on and off as needed but should not be used for long periods of time.